


The Return to House Varley

by Farva5



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Crests (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route Spoilers, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Male My Unit | Byleth, Mentioned Those Who Slither In The Dark (Fire Emblem), Post-Black Eagles Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:21:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27166510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Farva5/pseuds/Farva5
Summary: After the events of Crimson Flower, Bernadetta and Byleth return to House Varley to get her father's blessing for their marriage, though not all goes according to plan.
Relationships: Bernadetta von Varley & Bernadetta von Varley's Father, Edelgard von Hresvelg & Bernadetta von Varley, Edelgard von Hresvelg & My Unit | Byleth, My Unit | Byleth/Bernadetta von Varley
Comments: 5
Kudos: 24





	The Return to House Varley

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally much longer, but kept getting cut down to help it stay focused.
> 
> This is mostly just practice for writing prose, since I mostly do the screenplays and want to get better at it. But I'm a huge Bernie fan so this is where my mind went.

"Do you have any last words?"

Bernadetta watched as Edelgard hovered over the final member of Those Who Slither in the Dark, axe in hand. He stared back at her, and swore into the wind. Edelgard's axe fell. It was over.

\---

The next day, Bernadetta held tight to her fiance as they rode to House Varley. It was not a long ride from their temporary home in Enbarr, but Bernadetta was afraid all the same.

"Byleth?"

"Yes, Bernie Bear?"

"Do we... have to do this?"

Byleth turned around to look at Bernadetta. She wore her usual worried look he had gotten so used to during their time in school. For Byleth, that was only two years ago, but it was an eternity for Bernadetta.

"We never have to do anything you don't want to. I think this is the right thing to do though." Byleth took her hand. She smiled.

"You're right! Time to face my father once and for all! I don't care what he says!"

Bernadetta had been trained her whole life to be the perfect housewife. Her father tortured her into submission, trying to fit her into his own misguided image. She couldn't wait to see his face when she said she planned on marrying a commoner. A commoner with the Crest of Flames, and according to him, a bond with Sothis herself. But a commoner nonetheless. It would drive him insane. He threatened to kill Yuri just for being nice to her, she couldn't imagine what he'd say now.

\---

Byleth and Bernadetta arrived at House Varley. It had been seven years since Bernadetta came home. Between school, the war, and the search for Those Who Slither in the Dark, she never had a chance. Not like she wanted to anyway. But Byleth insisted that they at least try to get officially married before they eloped, so Bernadetta agreed.

A guard came out to meet them.

"Do you have an appointment with Count Varley?"

"Jonas, it's me. Bernie."

The guard took in Bernadetta for a minute, and his intense look quickly melted away.

"I… can't believe it. I never thought I'd see you again. I figured you'd died in the war."

"It's good to see you too."

Bernadetta got off their horse, and gave him a hug. Byleth got down too, and held onto the reins.

"Your father should be returning from Aegir later today. I would just wait in the castle until then if you want to see him."

"I… do. I do!" Bernadetta was psyching herself up all over again.

"Let's head inside then, Bernie. I want to see your home." Byleth gave a reassuring smile.

"Oh yeah! I'll give you the full tour!"

\---

Bernadetta excitedly gave Byleth the full tour of her childhood home. Byleth, having never really had a home, was delighted by every little detail, every well furnished room, and every amazing piece of food at the ready. He was pleased to see Bernie's room was close to the guest quarters, so they wouldn't have to travel far at the end of the night (based on Bernie's stories, he had a strong suspicion he wouldn't be staying in her room). Bernie's room was the grand finale of the tour.

It was decorated exactly as Byleth expected. He lit up when he saw it, and brought in his fiance for a hug.

Along the windowsill were carnivorous plants, still alive after all this time. Either they held water bizarrely well or someone was looking after them. She also had multiple stuffed bears and other animals, lying on the bed, with a thin layer of dust over it. The room was painted her favorite shade of purple, and was surprisingly cluttered, filled with knick knacks.

Bernie ran over to her bed and gave one of her plush bears a hug, one that looked very well loved, with patches of fur missing.

"Oh! I've missed you so much! I'm never leaving you alone again, I promise, Indech."

"Indech?"

Bernie looked embarrassed.

"I wasn't very good with names as a kid. I heard my dad say it all the time and I thought it sounded cute. Didn't really realize what it was until later."

Byleth smiled.

"Hey! Why are you smiling?"

Byleth took a seat on the bed next to Bernie.

"I was just thinking how cute my future wife is."

Bernie blushed, and started to retort when Byleth went in for a kiss. Bernie quickly leaned back, and rested against her headboard as they continued to kiss. The door swung open, suddenly, and before Bernie or Byleth could react, Count Varley burst through the door. They quickly broke the kiss, but it was too late.

\---

Bernadetta and Byleth were quickly dragged, by Count Varley himself, into his office. The pair sat across for Varley and his desk.

"Who the hell are you? And what were you doing on my daughter's bed?"

"Father, please, let me-"

Varley shot a look at Bernadetta. She got quiet very quickly. She hated how much power he still held over her.

"I want him to explain."

"I am Byleth Eisner. I am a former teacher at Garreg Mach, where I met Bernadetta. I was Edelgard's second in command on the Black Eagles Strike Force. I proposed to Bernadetta after the war was over, and she accepted. We have spent the last year rooting out Those Who Slither in the Dark."

Varley sat still for a second, nothing of what Byleth said moving him in either direction.

"Eisner. I don't know that name." He said, after some time. "What house do you hail from?"

"None, sir. I was born to a former Knight of Seiros, Jeralt Eisner, and a nun at the church, Sitri."

Byleth knew that both of his parents had much longer stories, but he didn't lie at any point, and it seemed safer to be direct with Varley.

Varley turned to Bernadetta, looking her dead in the eyes again.

"And you accepted his proposal? All that work I put in to make you respectable, and you marry a homeless former knight's kid? I bet he was a sell sword before you met him!"

Byleth and Bernie looked sheepishly at each other. Varley shot up in anger.

"He was? He was! Good lord Bernadetta, I figured you had more sense in you than that! You never did listen to anything I said."

He started to move towards Bernadetta, angrily. Byleth got in between them, revealing his sword around his waist: the Sword of the Creator.

"Now that's something, isn't it? How did trash like you get a weapon like that?"

"I earned it. Rhea gave it to me."

"Rhea? That monster?"

"It was… before all that." Bernadetta got quieter as the sentence went on.

"So you're a miserable former mercenary who was knighted by the treacherous Church leader. The whole point of Bernie's upbringing was to make her avoid riff raff like you!"

"Riff raff like Byleth got me through the war!" Bernadetta was standing now, she didn't know when that happened, exactly. "He was nice to me. He took care of me. He helped me to not fear people like you!" Bernie didn't know where these words were coming from, or how to stop them. "You abused me my whole childhood! And when I finally find a man I love, something I feared would never happen, this is how you treat him?"

Varley stopped. He didn't apologize, or look remorseful. All he did was stop for a second, and turn back towards his seat.

"Why did you come here now?" Varley managed to get that question out through gritted teeth.

"We wanted your blessing for our marriage." Byleth said, before Bernie could explode again. The look on her face made it clear she wasn't done.

"Why in the world did you think I would give it?"

"Because I wanted to give you one last chance!" Bernadetta yelled, again losing all control. "But clearly you don't respect me. Byleth, we're leaving."

Bernadetta grabbed his hand and dragged Byleth out, before Varley had time to react.

"Screw my inheritance. Screw my father. Screw it all." Bernadetta was fuming as she hustled out of House Varley. Byleth knew he couldn't calm her down, and if he was being honest, he didn't really want to. She had every right to be mad.

\---

They were married a few weeks later at the Monastery. Lindhart officiated it, and all of their friends from the Academy were in attendance. In truth, very few of their friends had died in the war. Most had surrendered peacefully after Claude disappeared or Dimitri fell.

Bernadetta's Maid of Honor was none other than the Emperor herself, Edelgard. She also had Dorothea, Petra, and Ingrid in her party. Byleth's best man was Yuri, since he meant so much to Bernadetta. Ferdinand forced his way into the party, as did Sylvain, leaving the last spot to Caspar, as Hubert declined.

It was a beautiful ceremony, with an even more lovely reception. Byleth and Bernadetta happily assumed their spot at the head of the party, and tended to relax through the night, watching as their friends all danced and smiled together.

"Has Sylvain proposed to Ingrid yet?" Byleth would whisper these sorts of questions throughout the night.

"Not yet. Felix was telling me about how many times he's tried to force Sylvain though."

Byleth laughed.

"At least Felix has actually done it. Never thought he'd beat Sylvain to a proposal."

Edelgard approached the table. It was odd, seeing her in a purple bridesmaid dress. Byleth never thought he'd see her without her armor or axe by her side. For once… she looked almost calm.

"Professor, may I have a dance?" She asked, offering her hand across the table.

Byleth looked over at Bernadetta, who smiled encouragingly.

"Well my wife seems to be okay with it, so I am too. And who am I to say no to the Emperor?"

Edelgard led Byleth onto the dance floor. The song changed to a slower number, and Byleth now had the lead.

"You went back to Varley, didn't you?" Edelgard asked after a moment.

"Yes. It was my idea. I never should have-"

"Do not apologize. I think you made the right decision as well." Edelgard showed little emotion, as usual, but Byleth sensed a smile.

"Why is that?"

"Bernadetta… well obviously you know her. I think no matter how much you, myself, the Black Eagles, helped her… I think her father still would have loomed over her. I think she needed to sever that tie once and for all. I assume that is not why you initially went there, but I believe it is for the best."

"Oh… thank you, El. I believe so too."

"I am so excited for you two to start your lives together. If you ever need a babysitter-"

"Won't you be a little busy?" Byleth asked, with a laugh.

"Oh, not me. I was going to offer Hubert." Edelgard finally smiled for real at her joke, a smile Byleth hadn't seen since their Academy days.

"Somehow, I think I'd rather have… Marianne, or Annette, or Ashe, or really anyone besides Hubert."

Edelgard laughed.

"That's probably for the best."

The song ended. Edelgard and Byleth separated, then hugged, and Byleth returned to his table.

"What did you talk about?" Bernadetta asked when Byleth returned.

"You. Our future. All that stuff. And how excited I am for it."

Bernadetta softly kissed Byleth.

"I am too, Byleth. I am too."


End file.
